Day 364: Black-crested Titmouse

Another new bird we saw in Burnet, Texas is the Black-crested Titmouse. This species was once considered to be a subspecies of the Tufted Titmouse, but it was recognized to be a separate species in 2002. It is native to southern Texas, Oklahoma, and east-central Mexico.

Day 363: Bewick's Wren

We had a wonderful trip to Texas, and I managed to add three new birds to my count for the year. That puts me at 365 birds for the year....only one left to hit 366!

We spent one day at my aunt and uncle's ranch in Burnet, Texas. They have a beautiful piece of land with lots of birds and animals running around. We saw two new birds there, one of them the Bewick's Wren.

Bewick's Wrens look similar to Carolina Wrens, but they have long tails that are tipped with white. They are found in the eastern parts of Canada and the United States.

Day 362: Long-billed Curlew

We saw two Long-billed Curlew from a very far distance on our first day in Colorado this August. Jared spotted them across a lake. We couldn't get any photos, since they were too far away, but here's what they look like. Their long, curved bills really are amazing.

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Day 361: Short-billed Dowitcher

The Short-billed Dowitcher is another bird we saw in eastern Maryland, but weren't able to get a photo of. It is very similar to the Long-billed Dowitcher, which I posted about earlier.

Here's what it looks like:

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Day 360: Northern Bobwhite

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful day.

Today's bird is the Northern Bobwhite. These birds are becoming more and more difficult to find in Maryland, as their habitat is shrinking. We heard one calling in a refuge in eastern Maryland earlier this year.

Here's what one looks like (not my photo):

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Day 359: Common Nighthawk

Merry Christmas Eve!

The Common Nighthawk is a very interesting bird. It has plumage that allows it to become almost invisible during the day. It's most easily seen while it's flying, which is how we have seen them in Maryland. The Common Nighthawk is an aerial insectivore, and it has a huge mouth to scoop up bugs.

Here's what one looks like (not my photo):

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Day 358: Dusky Flycatcher

The Dusky Flycatcher is another Colorado bird. It can be very hard to identify, since many flycatchers look almost identical. While I didn't get a photo of one, here's what it looks like:

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